


The Inheritance

by thirdfinger



Category: Heroes (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-09
Updated: 2010-09-09
Packaged: 2017-10-14 19:35:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/152718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thirdfinger/pseuds/thirdfinger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Noah has returned to the USA to attend the reading of Elle Bishop's will.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Inheritance

"Your name?"

"Noah Bennet."

"Destination?"

"New York City."

"You've been out of the country for quite a while, Mr. Bennet. It says here you've been in Haiti for over a year. What were you doing there?"

"Visiting a friend and helping rebuild homes."

"And why have you returned to the USA?"

"Death in the family."

The customs official tried to eyeball Noah. He returned his gaze calmly. Customs officials were trained to be objective and intimidating but they were amateurs compared to Noah Bennet. Their battle of wills drew out a long, moment before the Customs official grudgingly backed down.

"Welcome back to the USA, Mr. Bennet."

There was no need to be smug so Noah simply said, "Thank you", picked up his bag, and waited for Rene at the luggage carousel. It always took Rene longer to clear customs and Noah quietly bristled at the racism and classicism inherent in every tendril of American bureaucracy.

He had just collected their luggage when he was joined by his partner. "Trouble?" Noah asked.

Rene shook his head, characteristically silent. If there had been trouble, Noah was not to mind it, is what the silence said.

It was hard to step aside and let someone you care about fight their own battles. Rene was a strong man and that was why he and Noah were suited to each other. He didn't need Noah to protect him, just to be there for him.

The car Noah had reserved had been a black SUV but the car waiting for him was a red sports car. An upgrade to apologize for the unavailability of his first choice of vehicle. It screamed mid-life crisis if Rene's amused smile was anything to go by.

"I'd refuse to drive", Noah said with a frown, "but I'd like to arrive in one piece." A year with Rene in Haiti had illustrated to Noah many times over that what was considered defensive driving in Haiti was reckless endangerment in the USA.

He was answered by Rene's smile growing larger.

"I mean it, Rene."

Rene didn't stop chuckling until they'd reached Manhattan.

Noah had expected the reading of the Will to have more people in attendance than just himself and a dour-faced lawyer. He waited patiently for more people to show up. Billions of dollars were at stake here and that sort of money tended to draw the most dilute relations out of the woodwork

...but nobody showed. Finally the time changed to the appointed hour and the lawyer, with the briefest of glances at Noah, read the will.

It was short. She'd left him everything her father had left to her with no note and no explanation. Words had never been her strong suit.

"If you would sign here, Mr. Bennet?" The lawyer, who had introduced himself as Mr. Powell, slid a stack of papers across the desk to him and he took the time to read every word before he signed.

"Thank you, Mr. Bennet."

Now that he'd signed the paperwork Noah was at a loss. "What now?" he asked, still in shock.

Mr. Powell shook his head, "I'm afraid I'm not qualified to give you financial guidance, Mr. Bennet. I would suggest you retain the services of a financial advisor as soon as possible. Our office will be happy to provide your appointed financial firm with the details of all your holdings."

"Right. Sure." Noah looked up suddenly, "Did she leave anything to explain why she chose me?"

Mr. Powell pulled a Manila envelope out from beneath the stack of paperwork and handed it to Noah, "Only this. She had given it to us for safe-keeping; she seemed very concerned she'd lose it."

There was only the briefest hesitation before he emptied the contents of the envelope on the desk. A single photo fluttered out. He turned it over in his hands. A small face beamed up at him from in the arms of a much younger Noah Bennet.

He'd taken her to the zoo that day. Bob, her father, had rented the entire facility for her one sunny Tuesday morning and had assigned Noah to take her around and make sure she didn't kill any of the animals. Elle had been ten years old, only a few years older than his Claire, and the first hour they'd spent together at the zoo had been her sitting in his lap sobbing her heart out because her dad had promised to take her and he'd sent Noah instead.

It had broken his heart in ways the experiments never could.

He had made an effort to treat her like a daughter that day instead of like her keeper that small bit of attention had shown him how she could blossom if she'd only been raised with a little more hands on parenting and love.

He'd always regretted not being able to do more for her.

"Thank you," he said quietly. He understood, now, why Elle had left everything to him.

They'd planned on having dinner out that night at the Moroccan place they loved so much but when Noah had returned to the hotel room Rene had taken one look at him and gently led him to bed. It was hours before Noah was ready to eat.

They ordered in room service.

"I don't want it," Noah had been saying that over and over since he'd returned from the meeting.

"Perhaps she gave it to you because you do not want it." Rene moved to cover Noah's hand with his own. "My friend, you are not a man motivated by wealth, so use it to help others."

"I could rebuild Haiti with it," Noah said. He'd been working at doing that the past year with Rene anyways. He'd seen what that money could help with first hand.

"Yes, you could," Rene agreed. "You could also try to help children like Elle. It would be a fitting tribute to her memory."

"I could do both," Noah mused. "Powell's going to send me the details of all the accounts, holdings, and investments in the morning." He fell back on the bed with a groan. "I'm not a Petrelli. I cant manage something this big."

Rene smiled down at him and patted his chest, "And yet, I believe you can. You have a good and loyal heart, Noah. You should let it lead you more."

While Rene slept Noah lay awake; planning and thinking about a damaged little girl who had needed him and whom he had ultimately failed.

He wouldn't fail her, or another like her, again.

The day the Elle Bishop School for Gifted Children opened its doors there had been a wild lightning storm. Noah took it as a sign of Elle's approval in his use of his inheritance.


End file.
